Advising Perspectives Program

Old Main scenic photo

By facilitating meaningful dialogue and exchange, the Advising Perspectives Program offers staff in CU Boulder’s advising community a unique opportunity to engage directly with campus leadership.  

Professional Growth and Development 

Advising Perspectives is an in-depth engagement program for advising staff from all levels of the organization. Participants will gain a cross-campus network of professional peers and deeper knowledge of CU Boulder operations. This experience will enhance their perspective on their daily work and on advising as a profession. 

The Office of Undergraduate Education sponsors the program. 

Through a series of workshops and networking events, participants gain insights into: 

 

The strategic direction of our campus.

 

Organizational structures of advising at CU Boulder. 

 

Career ladder mentoring that supports their professional growth.   

Instructors

Suzanne Classen, Assistant Dean, Continuing Education

Suzanne Classen serves as the Assistant Dean for Strategic Engagement in the Division of Continuing Education (CE) at CU Boulder. Prior to her current role, she oversaw the Student Services team, comprised of academic, pre-health and career advisors and coaches for nine years. Preceding her leadership roles, she was an academic advisor for ten years in CE, working with students from all schools and colleges, non-degree, online, and returning adult students. In addition to her work with CE students and programs, Suzanne teaches the EDUC 5020, College Academic Advising course through CU Boulder’s MA in Higher Education (MAHE) program.

Shelly Bacon, Senior Associate Vice Provost, Undergraduate Education

Shelly Bacon serves as the senior associate vice provost in the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE). She began her CU Boulder career in 2000 as a professional academic advisor. Before moving to OUE in 2016, she served as Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences, where she oversaw advising and student support services. Holding the most senior advising-related position on campus, Shelly sponsors the CU Boulder Advising Leadership Council and oversees a campuswide framework for undergraduate advising, which encompasses broadly shared practices and priorities. She created and taught the inaugural two semesters of EDUC 5020, College Academic Advising, for CU Boulder’s MA in Higher Education (MAHE) program. 

Program Details

All members of the advising community are welcome to join the Advising Perspectives Program, regardless of role or experience level.

Participants will be in cohorts of 15-25 people with in-person modality. 

The program is offered once a year in the spring semester.

There will be light reading outside of sessions but no homework. 

  • The program begins during the last week of January and ends in the second week of March. 

  • Participants can expect to meet for 1.5 hours weekly for five weeks, with two longer half-days for the program launch and conclusion. 

Dates and Topics

  
Jan. 29 | 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Program launch, introductions and team building

  
Feb. 5 | 9-10:30 a.m.
University structures

  
Feb. 12 | 9-10:30 a.m.
Campus Leadership Panel

  
Feb. 19 | 9-10:30 a.m.
Budget models

  
Feb. 26 | 9-10:30 a.m.
Case Study Discussion

  
March 5 | 9-10:30 a.m.
Case study discussion—where is the profession going from here? 

  
March 12 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Career mentorship—where do you go from here?

The application to apply for the spring 2026 cohort will launch Oct. 1.

Questions? Reach out to Shelly Bacon or Suzanne Classen.